In the fifteenth century, the year 1473... at the Grand Cathedral of the Schicksal organization in Europe, a ceremony was currently being held by the Archbishop himself...
A path paved with white jade connected to a great cathedral with a white-based color scheme. Pointed arches, pilasters, and tracery windows, countless spires piercing the sky like a dense forest of towers, and on each spire, there was a statue of an angel. The stone pillars inlaid with gold made the cathedral appear even more holy and sacred...
The sunlight shone through the stained-glass windows into the main hall of the cathedral, the golden sunlight as brilliant as gold itself...
"Lord Otto... using his wisdom, has fused the claws of Honkai Beasts with steel to forge sharper weapons, and has improved the standard-issue weapons of the army... Although they cannot be compared to 'Holy Relics', they... have greatly increased the combat effectiveness of our army..."
"In view of your contributions to protecting the safety of the people... I hereby grant you the position of 'Priest'... The trivial matters of the church will be left to you." The white-haired patriarch of the Kaslana family said with a smile on his face. He reached out and took a white and gold-patterned priest's vestment from a platter held by a serving girl beside him, and gently bent down to place it on the handsome, golden-haired man kneeling on one knee on the ground...
"We coexist with Schicksal..." the handsome, golden-haired young man with closed eyes said softly, his hand trembling slightly... No one knew how long he had experimented with new metal materials to finally accomplish all of this...
Otto felt a surge of excitement and exhilaration. He, who had never held any position due to his mediocre combat abilities, had finally obtained the position of 'Priest' through his own strength...
"...." Otto stood up with the Archbishop's help. Like a child craving his parents' praise, Otto eagerly looked towards his father and brothers standing not far away....
"..." To his surprise, his father did not look at him and show the smile he had imagined. His brothers still wore the same indifferent expressions... their eyes looking at him as if... he were a stranger, plunging him into an icy abyss.
"Lord Archbishop... I have a matter I wish to discuss with you." Otto's father ignored Otto's gaze and instead walked quickly towards the kind-faced patriarch of the Kaslana family, who was also the Archbishop of 'Schicksal'...
"Hmm, alright..." The Archbishop with a gentle smile nodded, gave Otto an apologetic look, and turned to follow Otto's father's steps towards the inner hall....
"..." Standing in the golden sunlight, Otto was stunned... His handsome face was filled with a complex expression... He glanced at the pool by the roadside, at the white lotuses blooming in the sun... and finally revealed a self-deprecating look.
He finally understood now... even if he developed stronger weapons, but... as long as he had no power, as long as he couldn't become a warrior... he would never gain this father's approval...
"Damn it." Otto lowered his head, his slightly long bangs covering his face.
"Tch... old man, then I don't need your approval..." At this moment, Otto finally vented his inner dissatisfaction and rebellion. He showed a disdainful smile and quickly walked towards the door....
Just as Kallen said... since he has a goal, why be dejected? Since there is no approval, then he will approve of himself... Time will prove what the answer is.
And at this time... what Otto didn't know... or rather, what he only found out after some time... was that on this very day, his father had used him as a sacrifice for a political marriage and arranged a marriage with the Kaslana family... Just like that, without his consent, he had a fiancée...
And his fiancée was... 'Kallen Kaslana'.
...................
"Young Master Otto, Miss Kallen has been put on the wanted list for stealing the important 'Black Box'..." said a man in a black robe, wearing a mask resembling a crow, to the golden-haired man before him.
"Have our people found her?" the handsome man with long golden hair, appearing dashing and romantic, turned around and said, his indifferent gaze fixed on the black-robed man.
"Yes, they have... The 'Knights' sent by the Archbishops have not found her yet, but our 'rats' have..." the black-robed man said respectfully.
"..." Otto said nothing, merely raising his head slightly... gesturing for him to continue.
"We have found traces of the young lady in the Far East region... in District 11. However..." the black-robed man paused, hesitating for a second before continuing, "It seems the young lady has fallen for a woman named [Yae Sakura]. The other party seems to be controlled by the Honkai... so Miss Kallen is in trouble now..."
"..." A hint of surprise flashed across Otto's face. He fell silent for a moment... then finally spoke, "Send that weapon over... Consider it a gift for my Kallen."
"But... this is the Young Master's masterpiece..." The black-robed man looked at the weapon in front of Otto. As a trusted subordinate, he understood. He knew the power of the weapon before him, and how shocking it was...
"Heh... remember, Kallen is my fiancée..." Otto said with a roguish smile. "And... Kallen is mine. No one can take her away, not even [God]..." As the young Priest of 'Schicksal', the high-spirited Otto said, word by word.
"Yes, this humble servant will follow your will..." The black-robed man knelt on one knee and said loyally. "This subordinate will now send 'it' to the Far East..."
"..." The silent Otto watched as his subordinate quickly packed and took away the golden cross. He lowered his head and glanced at the sheepskin letter that had been on his desk for a long time, but which he had given up the idea of sending from the very beginning...
He reached out with his white-gloved right hand, smoothed his slightly long golden hair, sighed, and locked the parchment in a drawer with his manuscripts....
The meaning of the hidden letter was actually this....
.............
To my dearest Kallen,
Upon receiving news from afar and learning that you are in grave danger, I have sent someone to deliver overnight the anti-Honkai Beast weapon we designed together that day, 'Judah's Oath'.
Although it is a prototype, I hope it can be of some help to you. It is imbued with my thoughts of you, which are difficult to express in words...
I hold the position of Priest, and I am bound by the heavy responsibility of fighting the Honkai. Although I wish to rush to your side, I am unable to do so, and I cannot confess my feelings to you.
Oh, holy flower of the battlefield!... May Judah's Oath protect you in my stead.
7th, Dec. 1473
Otto, silently watching over you from afar.
(End of Chapter)